8. Conclusions

If you haven't already done so, click on one of the links below to see pictures of the four notebooks in this review.

slide show: Fujitsu Lifebook E8210

slide show: Gateway E-100M Notebook

slide show: HP Compaq NX7400

slide show: Lenovo ThinkPad T60 Notebook

And, if you haven't done so, click on the following link to see performance charts for the four notebooks:

slide show: Performance Charts

As noted earlier, we designed this review to show you a range of different business notebooks. There can be no winner. Each of the four computers has strengths and weaknesses. If you want the best performing notebook of the bunch, go for the Lenovo ThinkPad T60. It also offers good display brightness and contrast. Coming down a notch in performance, the Fujitsu LifeBook E8210 and HP Compaq nx7400 offer very good performance and good displays. All three of these notebooks weigh in at close to or just over six pounds. If graphics are important then take a close look at the Fujitsu and Lenovo, which both have ATI's Mobility Radeon X1400 graphics processor. The Lenovo has 512 MB of video memory to the Fujitsu's 128 MB.

If you're a believer in small is beautiful then check out the Gateway E-100M. Significantly smaller and half the weight of the other three notebooks (without its external DVD/CD drive), your arms will be much happier after a day of carrying it around compared to a day of lugging any of the other three computers from here to there. The cost of small is a slower processor and smaller keyboard deck, the latter of which is somewhat more difficult to touch type on.

Lenovo's T60 is a little larger than the Gateway, includes considerably more powerful components and was the top performer in our tests. It does however weigh quite a bit more than the Gateway.

Of course, as you seek the right business computer, you'll want to take cost into account as well. The links at the top of each page in this review will help you add financial considerations to your deliberations.

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